Amid business and political heavyweights in July, Beena Goldenberg could be found working the room, making the case for the cannabis sector.
The Organigram CEO was at an annual networking event hosted by former premier Frank McKenna at Fox Harb’r Resort in Nova Scotia, telling government and business leaders that nationwide, the industry generated $16 billion in GDP in 2024 and created 227,000 direct and indirect jobs.
In New Brunswick, the industry contributes $1 billion to the province’s GDP and has created more than 9,000 direct and indirect jobs, Goldenberg said in a recent interview.
The head of the Moncton-based cannabis company said the sector deserves more respect and recognition as a national economic driver, along with agriculture, beer, wineries and distilleries. But business and political leaders are always surprised by the numbers.
“I always get that look of, oh, they didn’t realize how big an industry it is,” she said.
The need to educate people about the cannabis sector, and the prospects for future growth, is what motivated Goldenberg and Organigram to commission a study through the business data lab at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which reported the numbers she quoted in conversations at Fox Harb’r.
“With all these uncertainties, with the U.S. and tariffs and the prime minister talking about needing to come up with new industries and new ideas, we’re saying we’ve got one right in front of you, and it’s called the cannabis industry,” Goldenberg said.
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